Africa
Jury-Rigged iPhone Microscope Can See Parasitic Worms Just Fine
The new contraption detected giant roundworm eggs 81 percent of the time and roundworm eggs 54 percent of the time in village samples in Tanzania
May 14, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Game Wardens Helped Poachers Kill the Last of Mozambique’s Rhinos
Mozambique's rhinos have been living on the edge of extinction for more than a century, but now they're finally gone for good
May 02, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
In 2010, Malaria Killed 660,000 People, And Now It’s Resistant to the Drugs We Use to Fight It
Scientists have discovered a drug-resistant strain of malaria, and it's spreading
April 29, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
As Tigers Dwindle, Poachers Turn to Lions for ‘Medicinal’ Bones
Because wildlife managers are overwhelmed by the rhino horn poaching epidemic, investigations into missing lions will likely take second place
April 23, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Our Closest Ape-Like Ancestor Is Reshuffling Thinking About Human Evolution
Australopithecus sediba included a strange mix of both modern Homo and ape-like australopith features
April 15, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Thieves Break Into Safe to Steal $3 Million Worth of Rhino Horns
Right now the going rate for rhino horn (just about $30,000 a pound) is higher than for gold
April 08, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Wildlife Managers Are Poisoning Rhino Horns to Stop People From Eating Them
The poison, a mix of parasiticides and pink dye, now fills more than 100 rhinos' horns
April 05, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Now Poachers Are Sawing Off Elephant Tusks in Museums
A plague of rhino horn and elephant tusk thefts to feed the wildlife black market continues in museums across Europe
April 02, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
The Joys and Dangers of Exploring Africa on the Back of an Elephant
Renowned travel writer Paul Theroux journeys through Botswana’s spectacular, wildlife-rich wetlands
April 2013 |
By Paul Theroux
Maybe Cleopatra Didn’t Commit Suicide
Her murder, one author thinks, was covered up behind a veil of propaganda and lies put forth by the Roman Empire
March 29, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
From the Big Bang to the End of the Earth and Everything in Between, the Two Minute History of America
A fun video by a Minnesota high school student tries to capture all of human history in just two minutes
March 20, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Coffee Here, and Coffee There: How Different People Serve the World’s Favorite Hot Drink
Coffee is black and bitter—but global travelers find a surprisingly wide range of forms of the world's favorite hot beverage
March 15, 2013 |
By Alastair Bland
Six Centuries Ago, Chinese Explorers Left This Coin Behind in Africa
Emperor Yongle was perhaps best know for starting the initial construction of Beijing's Forbidden City, but he also sent huge fleets of ships, under the command of admiral Zheng He, out across the ocean to faraway lands
March 15, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
This Giant Snail Is Giving Australia Terrible Flashbacks to the Last Giant Snail Takeover
The giant African snail is a true nightmare. So when Australian officials found one in a shipping container yard in Brisbane, they destroyed it as quickly as possible
March 12, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
This Simple Test Could Help Stop River Blindness
River blindness, one of the world's leading causes of blindness, begins when a small parasitic worm wiggles its way into human skin
March 01, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Why Did (or Didn’t) the Meerkat Cross the Road?
Dominant female meerkats hang back to let subordinates cross busy, dangerous roads first
March 01, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
For Female Golden Moles, Size Does Matter
Females judge potential mates by their penis sizes, which they use to gauge a male's attractiveness for copulation
February 22, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Appreciate Weird, Adorable Pangolins Before They’re Gone
Across Asia, a plague of hunting has hit pangolins, though it's not too late to save these intriguing creatures from extinction
February 15, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
A Restaurant in Japan Is Serving a $110 Tasting Menu Featuring Dirt
Japan's foodies have turned their attention to a new delicacy on Tokyo menus; will dirt turn up next in haute cuisine in New York and London?
February 12, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
